He was awarded a degree in Letters by Università di Roma “La Sapienza” on 2 July 1986 (with a grade of 110/110 cum laude). From 1990 through 1993, attended the course for the research doctorate in the History of doctrines, political institutions, and philosophy of politics at Università di Roma “La Sapienza.” In 1994, was awarded the PhD with a thesis entitled "La razionalizzazione del parlamentarismo nel dibattito costituzionale francese degli anni 1945-1946".
In academic years 1996/97 and 1997/98 at the Faculty of Political Sciences of Università di Roma “La Sapienza,” he was post doc fellow in the History of doctrines, political institutions, and philosophy of politics.
From 1 February 2000 through 28 February 2001, was recipient of a research grant in the History of Political Institutions.
In March 2001, became researcher in the History of Political institutions at the Faculty of Political Sciences at Università di Roma “La Sapienza.”
In June 2003, obtained qualification as associate professor in the History of Political Institutions.
In January 2005, became Associate Professor of the History of Political Institutions at the Faculty of Political Sciences of Università di Roma “La Sapienza,” (now Faculty of Political Sciences, Sociology and Communication), where he teaches the History of Italian and European Political Institutions and the History of Public Administration.
In 2013 he obtained the national qualification as Full Professor in History of political institutions and political doctrines. Since January 2019 is Full Professor at the Department of Political Sciences.
From 2008 through 2012 he has been member of the board of professor of the PhD course in "Linguaggi politici e comunicazione. Storia, geografia e istituzioni". Since 2013 he is member of the board of professors of the PhD course in "Studi Politici", Department of Political Sciences.
Since 2014 he is President of the didactic area of Sciences of Administration, which is responsible for the Bachelor degree course in Sciences of Administraton and Organization and the Master degree course in Sciences of Administration and Public Policies.
From 1993 through 2001, he has been member of the scientific committee of the Journal "Europa Europe", with a special attention to the institutions of the European Union.
From 1997 through 2015, he has been member of the Scientific Committee of the Fondazione Gramsci.
From 2003 through 2011, he has been member of the scientific committee of the "Rapporto annuale sull'integrazione europea", published since 2006 by Il Mulino.
Since 2007, he is member of the Direction of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions (ICHRPI). He attends its annual congresses regularly since 1999.
Since 2008, he is "correspondant étranger" of the Journal "Parlement[s]. Revue d'histoire politique", published by the Comité d'Histoire Parlementaire et Politique.
Since 2014 he is member of the Direction of the Società per gli studi di Storia delle istituzioni.
Since 2017 he is member of the Editorial Board of the Journal "Parliaments, Estates and Representation", published by Routledge, and of the Scientific Committee of the Journal "Le Carte e la Storia".
He is also member of the Associazione italiana di Storia delle Istituzioni Politiche, of the Associazione universitaria di Studi europei and of the Società italiana per lo studio della Storia contemporanea.
His main research areas are the history of twentieth-century French political institutions, the constitutional history of the Italian Republic, and the institutional history of the European Union, and especially of the European Parliament
His scientific activity has produced 119 publications.
He is the author of three monographs: a) "Due Costituenti e tre referendum. La nascita della Quarta Repubblica francese", Milano, Franco Angeli, 1998, Collana La Società moderna e contemporanea; b) "L'ora del Maresciallo: Vichy, 10 luglio 1940: il conferimento dei pieni poteri a Pétain", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005, Collana le Grandi date della Storia costituzionale; c) "Un Parlamento oltre le nazioni. L'Assemblea Comune della CECA e le sfide dell'integrazione europea (1952-1958)", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016, Collana Fonti e Studi sul federalismo e sull'integrazione europea.
He has edited nine collective works, as, for example: "La Costituzione italiana", with Maurizio Fioravanti, Roma, Carocci, 1999; "Dall'Europa a Quindici alla Grande Europa. La sfida istituzionale", with Andrea Manzella and Fabio Sdogati, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2001, Collana "Verso la Costituzione europea" "La prima legislatura repubblicana: continuità e discontinuità nell'azione delle istituzioni", with Ugo De Siervo and Antonio Varsori, Roma, Carocci, 2004; "Le istituzioni repubblicane dal centrismo al centro-sinistra", with Pier Luigi Ballini and Antonio Varsori, Roma, Carocci, 2006.
He has published 46 contributions in books and 45 articles in national and international Journals: "Journal of European Integration History", "Parliaments, Estates and Representation", "Parlement[s]. Revue d'Histoire politique", "Revue Historique", "Quaderni fiorentini per la storia del pensiero giuridico moderno", "Storia, Amministrazione, Costituzione. Annale dell'Istituto per la Scienza dell'Amministrazione Pubblica", "Studi Storici", "Giornale di Storia contemporanea", "Eurostudium3w", "Quaderni costituzionali", "Officina della Storia", "Europa Europe", "Democrazia e Diritto".
He has presented papers to many international and national Conferences. For instance, in the last 10 years:
- Verona, 20-22 febbraio 2019, Università di Verona, Società per gli Studi di Storia delle Istituzioni, Title of the conference: Il Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri dallo Stato liberale allo Stato democratico fino all’Unione europea. Title of the paper: Dopo Vichy: quale figura di premier per la nuova Repubblica francese?
- Genova, 5-6 novembre 2018, Università di Genova, Title of the Conference: Le Costituzioni del periodo costituente, nell’ambito del Progetto SISSCO per le celebrazioni del 70° anniversario della Costituente e della Costituzione. Title of the paper: Rifondare la République: la genesi della Costituzione francese del 1946.
- Padova, 27-28 settembre 2018, Università di Padova, Title of the conference L’Europa e il suo processo di integrazione dall’Atto Unico alla Brexit. Punti di vista della storiografia italiana. Title of the paper: Dalla Carta dei diritti fondamentali alla bocciatura del Trattato costituzionale: portata e limiti di un controverso processo costituente europeo.
- Vienna, 10-13 settembre 2018, Università di Vienna, 70th Conference of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions. Title of the paper: Founding a constitutional Europe? The European Convention of 2002-2003.
- Venezia, 13-14 luglio 2018, Associazione Universitaria di Studi Europei, Title of the Conference: A settant’anni dal Congresso d’Europa a l’Aja. Unità ideale e unità politica. Title of the paper: Valori, diritti, ideali di riconciliazione: lo spirito dell’Aja nell’Assemblea Consultiva del Consiglio d’Europa (1949-1951).
- Lussemburgo, 14 giugno 2018, Parlement européen, Bâtiment Schuman, Service de Recherche du Parlement européen, Table ronde : Les Pionniers d’une Europe parlementaire : l’Assemblée Commune de la CECA dans les années 1950.
- Orléans, Paris, 5-8 September 2017, 69th Conference of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions, Université d’Orléans, Sénat (Palais du Luxembourg). Title of the paper: "La constitutionnalisation des droits sociaux en France: des idées de la Résistance au Préambule de 1946".
- Ajaccio, 1-2 June 2017, Comité d’Histoire parlementaire et politique, title of the conference: Les transitions politiques en Méditerranée (XIXe-XXIe siècles). Title of the paper: "La transition politique en Italie au lendemain de la Seconde Guerre mondiale".
- Palma de Mallorca, 6-9 September 2016, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Parlament de les Illes Balears, 68th Conference of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions. Title of the paper: "Les pionniers du parlementarisme communautaire: les délégués à l’Assemblée Commune de la CECA (1952-1958)".
- Venice, 23 April 2016, University IUAV of Venice, title of the Conference: Gianni Pellicani. Il riformismo a Venezia e in Italia, organized by the Fondazione Gianni Pellicani. Title of the paper: "Trasformare le istituzioni repubblicane: il ruolo del Pci".
- Rome, 11 December 2015, Archivio Storico della Presidenza della Repubblica, Title of the conference: La Sicilia in Europa, l’Europa in Sicilia, (organized by the Archivio Storico della Presidenza della Repubblica and the Historical Archives of the European Union). Title of the paper: "L’Assemblea Comune della Ceca e la Conferenza di Messina".
- Rome, 20 November 2015, Camera dei Deputati, title of the conference: I Parlamenti di guerra: il caso italiano e il contesto europeo, organized by the Società per gli studi di storia delle istituzioni. Title of the paper: "Parlamento ed esecutivo in Francia durante le due guerre mondiali".
- London 30 June-3 July 2015, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, and King’s College: title of the Conference: Making Constitutions, Building Parliaments. Constructing Representative Institutions, (1000-2000), (66th Annual Conference of the ICHRPI, organized by the History of Parliament Trust). Title of the paper: "An impossible mission? The European Parliament and the question of a European Constitution (1952-2005)".
- Vienna, 3-5 September 2014, University of Vienna: 65th Conference of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions. Title of the paper: The French Parliament during the drôle de guerre.
- Florence, 11 April 2014, Villa Finaly: Journée d’études franco-italienne. Historiographies politiques françaises et italiennes: regards croisés. Title of the paper: "La IVe République: un miroir pour la République italienne?"
- Rome, 14 February 2014, Sapienza Università di Roma, title of the conference: Le Istituzioni Politiche come storia. Omaggio a Maria Sofia Corciulo e ai suoi studi. Title of the paper: "La dimensione internazionale: il contributo alla International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions".
- Dublin, Belfast, 4-7 September 2013, Parliament House, National Library, Royal Irish Academy, Northern Ireland Assembly, 64th Conference of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions. Title of the paper: "From the Hague Congress to the Council of Europe: Hopes, Achievements and Disappointments of the Parliamentary Way to European Integration (1948-1952)".
- Paris, 17 June 2013, Centre d’Histoire de Sciences Po, Séminaire de recherche du Comité d’Histoire Parlementaire et Politique. Title of the paper: La genèse d’un parlementarisme supranational: l’expérience du Parlement européen.
- Paris, 8-9 November 2012, Centre d’Histoire de Sciences Po, International Conference: The Europe of Parliaments. Current Research in the Field of Parliamentary History, organized by “The European Information and Research Network on Parliamentary History (EuParl.net)”. Title of the paper: "The European Parliament. From an Unidentified Historiographical Object to a Relevant Topic of Research".
- Cadiz, 5-7 September 2012, University of Cadiz, title of the Conference: Las Cortes de Cádiz y la Historia Parlamentaria (63rd Conference of the ICHRPI). Title of the paper: "Una burocracia parlamentaria supranacional: la Secretaría General del Parlamento europeo (1952-1979)".
- Paris, 9-11 February 2012, Institut Historique Allemand, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, title of the conference : Les partis politiques européens face à la première élection directe du Parlement européen dans les années 1970. Title of the paper: "Les euro-parlementaires italiens de l’ouverture aux communistes aux élections directes (1969-1984)".
- Lucca, 10-12 November 2011, IMT-Institute for Advanced Studies, title of the conference: European Political cultures and parties and the European integration process, 1945-1992. title of the paper: "La formation des groupes politiques à l’Assemblée commune de la Ceca (1952-1958)".
- Palermo, Messina, 5-9 September 2011, Palazzo dei Normanni, University of Messina, title of the conference: Culture e modelli parlamentari a confronto. Modelli della rappresentanza politica e identità nazionali (62° Conference of the ICHRPI). Title of the paper: "Le Parlement communautaire à Montecitorio. La session de Rome de l’Assemblée commune de la Ceca (5-9 novembre 1957)".
- Rome, 10-11 March 2011, title of the Conference: La Repubblica in transizione (1989-1994), organized by Fondazione Luigi Einaudi, Fondazione Gramsci and Società italiana per lo studio della storia contemporanea. title of the paper: Il Pci di Occhetto e le riforme istituzionali.
- Geneva, 16-17 September 2010, University of Geneva, Workshop Le Parlement européen et les transformations de l’Europe communautaire. title of the paper: "Les représentants italiens au Parlement européen (1952-1979)".
- Rome, 20 November 2009, University “La Sapienza”, title of the conference: Globalizzazione dei mercati e integrazione sociale: ipotesi a confronto. Title of the paper: "La dimensione sociale nell’integrazione europea: origini e sviluppi".
- Lisbon, Coimbra, 1-4 September 2009, Assembleia da República and University of Coimbra, title of the conference: Parlamentos: a lei, a prática e as representações. Da Idade Média à Actualidade (60th Conference of the ICHRPI). Title of the paper: "The European Parliament from the end of the de Gaulle era to the direct elections (1969-1979)".
- Viterbo, 22-23 October 2008, University of Tuscia, Comitato nazionale Altiero Spinelli, title of the conference: Comunicare l’Europa. Il ruolo dei mass-media nel processo di unificazione: un’analisi critica tra storia e attualità. Title of the paper: "L’integrazione europea nelle riviste politico-culturali".
- Alghero, Sassari, 9-12 July 2008, University of Sassari, 59th Conference of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions. Title of the paper: "The European Parliament and the empty chair crisis (1965-1966)".
- Siena, 23-24 May 2008, International Conference, The Road Europe travelled along. The Evolution of the EEC/EU Institutions and Policies, Title of the paper: "The Evolution of the European Parliament’s Role before the Direct Elections (1952-1979)".